Shop Till You Drop: Nordstrom Rack Opens In Tampa

Fashionistas rejoice!

Nordstrom Rack is opening in the fall of 2010 at 1702 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. in the Walter's Crossing shopping center at the intersection of I-275 and Dale Mabry, right next to the Home Depot. The new store will serve as an off-price discount outlet, complementing the Nordstrom's at International Plaza.

According to Collin Johnson, a spokesman for Nordstrom's corporate office in Seattle, WA. Nordstrom's off-rack discount concept is more than 35 years old.

"Nordstrom Rack actually started in the basement of the Seattle flagship store," says Johnson. "Over the years, customers really responded and we realized it was a really great way to clear merchandise."

This will be the retailer's first Nordstrom Rack in Tampa and the fifth in the state. The discount store will feature the same brands found in the department store, but at discounts of between 30 and 70 percent. Johnson says the Nordstrom company has found that the discount stores are successful in areas like Tampa that have an existing Nordstrom presence.

"There are very few Nordstrom Rack locations in what folks would consider outlet malls. A lot of our best performing discount stores are not in outlet stores but in close proximity to Nordstrom department stores. The two work really well in tandem. What we've been trying to do is that we know we have places where we have really loyal customers and we want to provide those communities with Rack stores to better serve them and provide another way to shop from Nordstrom."

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: Collin Johnson, Nordstrom